ACO CountSort is built around that second half
It is a counting and sorting line that processes PET, aluminium and glass containers from 150ml to 3L, classifies them by material, and reports the totals. It also produces a photograph and a video record of every container that passes through it, and routes any container that fails verification into a risk transaction queue for manual review. The evidence is not an export. It is not a premium feature. It is the standard output of the system.
In mature DRS markets, disputes between counting centre operators and scheme administrators are not the exception. They are the operational reality. The counting line is where those disputes are decided.
Operational profile
CountSort accepts and verifies containers at up to 240 per minute, with verification accuracy above 99 percent across mixed material streams. A conventional counting and sorting line typically occupies 120 to 180 square metres and requires several days of on-site commissioning. CountSort fits within 60 square metres and is commissioned in under three hours.
The system is CE marked under the EU machinery directive. CountSort is currently deployed at ÇATOM’s Torbalı facility, one of Türkiye’s licensed counting centres under the national DBYS deposit return scheme, one of the most audit-intensive regulatory frameworks in Europe.
The UK Deposit Return Scheme
The UK DRS launches in October 2027. Approximately 23 billion containers will enter the system every year across England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. ACO Recycling is already active in the market, working with regional distribution and installation partners across England and Northern Ireland ahead of launch. The counting infrastructure being installed in 2026 and 2027 is the infrastructure the UK system will run on for a decade.
A complete deposit architecture
CountSort is one part of a connected system. The Flexa Series of reverse vending machines handles collection at the front end. CountSort closes the loop at the counting centre. The V5 platform sits above both, giving operators real-time visibility across every site, every container, every transaction. The architecture is built for a single principle: a deposit that enters the system on a Monday should be traceable on a Friday, by anyone authorised to verify it.
For ACO, that principle is operational, not aspirational. “A counting line earns its accuracy in the field. Until then, it is a hypothesis.” Nihat Kuruüzüm, Founder & Managing Director, ACO Recycling, on the company’s preparation for the UK DRS rollout
